Births, Weddings, Deaths

Universally significant moments of individual and communal life are celebrated with food rituals. The birth of a child entails the preparation of special foods for the enjoyment of family and friends. This is especially so with the birth of a boy, for, historically a patriarchal society, China favours and honours males. In a mostly agricultural country, this was reinforced by the need for workers and the custom of inheritance.

Only sons could inherit family land and only sons could carry on the family name. Furthermore, given the once frightful rate of infant mortality an ancient saying becomes clear: “One son is no son, two sons is part of a son; only with three sons can you be sure of a son.”